1. Field
The disclosed aspects relate to wireless communication devices, and more particularly, to systems, methods and apparatus for locating and/or tracking and/or recovering a wireless communication device, especially devices that have been lost, stolen or misplaced.
2. Background
Wireless communication devices have become a prevalent means by which majorities of people worldwide have come to communicate. Wireless communication devices have become smaller and more powerful in order to meet consumer needs and to improve portability and convenience. The smallness and portability of such devices make them highly susceptible to being misplaced, lost or stolen. As the user penetration within the general population increases to include younger aged and senior aged users, the likelihood for misplacing, losing or having a device stolen tends to increase.
While many wireless communication devices are configured to provide password security protection, the password is typically required at device power-up. Thus, if a device has been lost or stolen while the power is on, the finder or the thief can use it as long as the device remains on. In many other instances, users prefer to forego password security protection because logging on each time the device is powered up is viewed as tedious and unnecessary action.
When the user of the wireless communication device is confronted with a situation in which the device is misplaced, lost or stolen, it provides for a troublesome and at times, traumatic experience. The wireless communication device, such as a mobile telephone, is no longer limited to providing a means for placing and receiving communication calls. The increased storage capacity and functionality of the devices may provide the user e-wallet or mobile-office functionality, which allows the user to not only store contact information but also credit card information, valuable and secured personal and business related information and the like. Thus, permanently losing a device and having to replace a lost or stolen device is not merely a matter of just facing the economical burden of purchasing a new device, it may also involve attempting to reacquire lost data, changing previous secure personal and/or business information cancelling credit cards and the like.
Users confronted with a misplaced, stolen or lost wireless communication device typically perform one or more standard operations, such as searching for the device, reporting to the authorities that the device has been stolen, contacting the service provider to get services turned off and, if the device is permanently lost or stolen, purchasing a new device. All of these standard options are less than attractive to the user, as they require time, effort, cost and induce stress. In the case of a misplaced device, which is reported as lost for the purpose of disconnecting services and is then subsequently found, the user has to perform the tedious and time-consuming process of re-contacting the service provider to have the service reinstated.
Regardless of whether the wireless communication device is misplaced, lost or stolen it is critical that the device be rendered unusable, either temporarily until the device is found or returned, or permanently if the device is stolen, not found or not returned.
In other situations in which a user loans their device to some one else, such as a parent loaning their device to their child, a need may exist to track the location of the device and/or the corresponding loanee. In another application, it may be advantageous to provide a user a wireless communication device and nefariously track the location of the user or the user's actions. For example, a law enforcement agency may desire to track the whereabouts or actions of a suspected criminal, without the suspected criminal knowing that they are being tracked or their actions being monitored.
Thus a need exists to provide for locating, tracking and/or recovering wireless communication devices that have been misplaced lost, or stolen. As such a need exists to provide disablement and secure the data stored on a wireless communication device that is misplaced, lost or stolen. Additionally, a need also exists, for providing location and action tracking of wireless devices in the instance in which the device has been loaned or to provide covert surveillance by law enforcement of suspected criminals.